How to set up an Instagram auto-reply that turns DMs into booked tattoos
Every new DM is a lead. Set up a Meta instant reply that sends each one to your booking link — where the AI captures the full brief and drops it in your WhatsApp, ready to price.
You know the messages. “Info?” “Price?” “hey 👋” — sent at 2am, with no idea, no size, no placement, no reference. By the time you reply between clients, half of them have gone cold. The leads are real; the problem is that they all land in the same blank inbox and wait on you.
An instant replyfixes the first move. It’s a free Meta automation that answers the very first DM a person sends — instantly, day or night. Instead of a dead end, that first reply points them to your booking link, where the boring part gets collected before you ever read a word.
What you’re building
One automation: someone messages you, they immediately get a short reply with your bookink.ai/yournamelink. Here’s the exact screen you’ll set up in Meta Business Suite.
Responde al primer mensaje que alguien te envíe en Messenger o Instagram.
Set it up in 5 steps
Open Automations in Meta Business Suite
On desktop, go to business.facebook.com, open Inbox, then Automations. On your phone, open the Meta Business Suite app and tap Inbox, then the automated responses settings. This is where Instagram and Messenger automations live.
Choose 'Instant reply' and turn it on
Pick the Instant reply automation (Respuesta automática) and switch it on. It fires once — the first time someone messages you — which is exactly the moment to point them somewhere better than a blank DM.
Enable it on both Instagram and Messenger
Under Channel, tick both Instagram and Messenger. Most studios get inquiries on both, and you want the same clean redirect on each.
Write the redirect message — with your link
Under the action, paste a short message that acknowledges the person and sends them to your booking link. Keep it to two lines. Lead with the link, leave a door open for anything urgent.
Save — and test it from a second account
Hit Save changes, then message yourself from another phone to confirm the reply lands and the link opens your booking flow. Done. Every new DM now starts in the right place.
Copy-paste message templates
Keep it warm, short, and link-first. Swap in your own handle and tweak the tone to sound like you.
- Hey! Thanks for reaching out 🙏 For prices and to start your booking, tap here → bookink.ai/yourname — it takes 30 seconds. Anything urgent, just write it here.
- Thanks for the message! The fastest way to get a quote is right here → bookink.ai/yourname. Drop your idea there and we'll take it from there.
- Welcome! To check availability and get a price, start here → bookink.ai/yourname. Prefer to ask something first? Go ahead, we read every message.
6 mistakes that quietly kill it
- A wall of text — if it's longer than two lines, people stop reading and just wait for a human.
- Sending the link to your homepage or Linktree — every extra tap loses people. Point straight at the booking flow.
- A 'reply 1 for prices' text menu — it reads as a robot and gets ignored.
- No escape hatch — always leave a line that says urgent messages are welcome, so it never feels like a wall.
- Turning it on for only one channel — enable both Instagram and Messenger so nothing slips through.
- Forgetting to update the link — if your handle or link changes, fix the auto-reply the same day.
FAQ
Won't an auto-reply feel like a bot?
Not if it's short, greets the person, and leaves room for urgent messages. It reads as organised, not robotic — clients are used to getting an instant 'here's where to start' on every other business they message.
Does this remove my Message button?
No. The auto-reply just answers the first DM. People can still message you freely — you're simply giving them a faster path the moment they arrive.
What if they reply in the DM instead of clicking the link?
That's fine — you haven't lost them. Answer if it's quick, or nudge once back to the link so the full brief (idea, size, placement, style, references) still gets captured in one place.
I run several artists or locations. Won't one link confuse people?
No. You use one link and the booking flow asks what they're after, then branches from there. The client never has to figure out who to message.
This is one piece. Set up your whole profile in the 6 contact points playbook, then make sure nothing slips through with the follow-up automation.
Let the link do the talking
An auto-reply is only as good as where it sends people. With Bookink, that link is a single bookink.ai/yourname page: your AI assistant gathers every detail a client shares — idea, size, placement, style, references — and the finished brief lands in your WhatsApp. You step in only to price and confirm.
Start free — 30 days, no card